HENRY Wilson, Unite staff convenor at BAE Systems, has told MPs unions were in no doubt that UK defence contracts would not go to "foreign" countries.

HMS Queen Elizabeth in dock in Rosyth, having been officially named the UK's newest aircraft carrier by the Queen last week

MILITARY shipbuilding will be "finished" in Scotland if the country votes for independence in September, MPs were told by a union official at a major defence contractor.

A Yes vote could jeopardise the decision to build Type 26 frigates in Scotland as well as decades of maintenance work on vessels including the new aircraft carriers currently being built at Rosyth.

Henry Wilson, Unite staff convenor at BAE Systems, told the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that the unions were in "no doubt whatsoever" that UK defence contracts would not be awarded to a foreign country.

"From a trade union perspective we are under absolutely no doubt whatsoever from statements that have been made in Parliament, that these contracts will not be placed in Scotland," he said.

"If there is a Yes vote in September, as far as we are concerned, shipbuilding is finished in Scotland from a defence point of view.

"We can't see any change to that. That position has been more or less maintained by the company up until yesterday, where ... Sir Roger Carr, the chairman of BAE Systems has quite clearly come out and stated that the company's expectations are that if there is a Yes vote and we become an independent Scotland, Navy contracts and UK ministry contracts will not be placed in Scotland.

"He has also stated that it is possible that the Type 26 could be built in Portsmouth."

That would be more expensive and could result in a reduction in the number of ships built, Mr Wilson added.

It would also spell the end for a planned investment in Scotstoun, he claimed: "If a No vote isn't successful and we go independent that £270million investment will not come to Scotland."

Sir Roger told the BBC's Scotland, For Richer, For Poorer that it was "certainly not" in the history of UK governments to build warships in foreign countries.

"I mean, the history is, we build warships in the United Kingdom for the United Kingdom - no evidence of a belief of change in that view," he said,

But the Scottish Government insisted that the Royal Navy could continue to order ships from Scottish yards as they are the "best place" to produce the vessels.

"If Westminster is willing to work with Australia on design work for the Type 26 ships - and to place an order worth almost half a billion pounds to South Korea for military tankers - it is even more straightforward to build naval vessels in the Clyde yards, which offers the best quality and value for money," a spokeswoman said.

Asked about the Scottish Government's assurances that shipbuilding would continue, Mr Wilson told the MPs: "The only reason I can see is it does not want to turn round and tell the Scottish people that they would not be able to afford to keep our shipbuilding industry running.

"That wouldn't be a nice thing for them to be able to say running up to an independence referendum."

Raymond Duguid, Unite convenor and trade union chairman at Babcock International Group told the committee independence would "put at risk" Royal Navy contracts at Rosyth.

"Babcock were quite clear to the trade unions that the consequences of an independent Scotland for Rosyth would put at risk Royal Navy contracts that Rosyth has at the moment and could potentially have in the future," he said.

There would also be an impact on civil jobs because of potential changes in regulation as a result of independence: "Babcock see it touching the majority of their business if independence was to go forward."

SNP MSP Bill Kidd said: "The Clyde isn't just the best place to build the warships the Royal Navy needs - it will soon be the only place in these islands following the decision to end shipbuilding in Portsmouth.

"The fact is that the skills and capabilities of Scotland's ship building sector are what will help them to continue to win work in an independent Scotland.

"As Scotland's Future makes clear, after a Yes vote an independent Scotland will seek to engage in a programme of joint procurement with the rest of the UK to satisfy the defence needs of both an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK.

"If the MoD can jointly design the Type 26 with Australia, then there is no reason at all why a joint procurement programme cannot see these ships built on the Clyde.

"That is the best option for everyone and is what will help to ensure that Scotland's ship building industry has a bright future ahead of it after a Yes vote."

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